Use of wireless headsets and other types of hands-free devices are well known. Such devices typically operate according to short-range wireless protocols, such as the BLUETOOTH protocol, and are wirelessly connected to a separate mobile communication device, such as a mobile telephone. When a call is received by the mobile communication device over its associated wireless wide area network (WWAN) and the mobile device is wirelessly connected to a hands-free device, the call is demodulated to extract the embedded voice information and the hands-free device is alerted of the call according to the short-range wireless protocol. If the user of the hands-free device decides to answer the call, the user typically presses a button on the hands-free device to indicate to the mobile device that the call is to be answered and forwarded to the hands-free device. Responsive to receiving an indication that the call is to be answered (e.g., via a BLUETOOTH hands-free or headset profile command), the mobile device transmits the audio packets to the hands-free device according to the short-range wireless protocol, where they are subsequently demodulated, decoded, and audibly provided to one or more speakers in the hands-free device.
While hands-free devices allow users to participate in calls and otherwise interact with mobile devices without having to hold the mobile devices to their ears, the hands-free devices still require the users to speak in order to participate in calls. Such speaking may be disruptive or disrespectful depending upon the circumstances under which an incoming call may be received. For example, a user may be in a meeting or another area in which the user does not want to immediately talk when receiving a call because the conversation may disrupt others. However, the user wants to answer the call, but would like to postpone talking until the user is in an area that is more conducive to a conversation. Typically, under these circumstances, the user presses the answer button on the hands-free device and then whispers to the caller to wait a minute for the user to leave the area. While this approach attempts to minimize the length of time of the disruption, it does not eliminate the disruption and persons in the user's immediate vicinity are bothered, at least temporarily, when the user answers the call. On the other hand, if the user answers the call by depressing the answer or on-hook button of the hands-free device and does not say anything, the caller may be confused and think that the call was disconnected, resulting in the caller hanging up.
Previous attempts have been made to provide a silent call feature that permits the delayed answering of a call. Once such attempt is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,671 (“the '671 patent”). According to the '671 patent, one or more pre-recorded audio messages are stored in the mobile communication device and transmitted to a calling party when the user of the mobile device places the mobile device into a non-active state responsive to receiving an incoming call. The pre-recorded messages inform the caller that the mobile device user is occupied, but will answer the call shortly. One or more of the messages can be repeatedly played to the caller until the mobile device user places the call in an active state and participates in the call. While the silent call feature disclosed in the '671 patent allows the user to defer answering a call without disrupting others and while simultaneously informing the caller of the user's current circumstances, the feature is tied to the mobile communication device and is not associated with a hands-free device. As a result, a user of a hands-free device would be required to keep the mobile communication device at close range in order to activate the silent call feature on the mobile device when necessary, which may reduce the benefit of utilizing a hands-free device. Additionally, because the silent call feature is implemented in the mobile communication device, the user would lose the feature when, for example, the user had to borrow or rent a BLUETOOTH or other hands-free capable mobile device that did not include the silent call feature (e.g., when traveling to a country that did not support the wireless technology utilized by the user's own mobile device).
Another attempt at providing a quiet or silent call is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,106,852 (“the '852 patent”). According to the '852 patent, a mobile telephone stores several conversation elements representing audible utterances that could be made during a conversation. When a user wants to have a quiet conversation, the user uses a mechanical device, such as a stylus, to select a displayed conversation element that corresponds to one or more words to be used in the conversation. Upon selection of the conversation element, the mobile telephone transmits an audio message or utterance corresponding to the conversation element to the other party. Thus, by selecting multiple conversation elements, the mobile telephone user can audibly communicate with the other party without ever speaking. While the quiet call feature disclosed in the '852 patent facilitates quiet communications, the feature is similarly tied to the mobile communication device and is not associated with a hands-free device. As a result, a user of a hands-free device would be required to hold the mobile communication device or at least keep it at close range in order to utilize the quiet call feature, which may reduce the benefit of utilizing a hands-free device. Additionally, because the quiet call feature is implemented in the mobile communication device, the user would lose the feature when, for example, the user had to borrow or rent a mobile device that did not include such a feature (e.g., when traveling to a country that did not support the wireless technology utilized by the user's own mobile device). Further, if the quiet call feature resides on the mobile communication device, an additional communication protocol would need to be in both the hands-free device and the mobile communication device to initiate or cancel the feature from the hands-free device. Such a protocol would be a non-standard proprietary protocol or a new standardized protocol. As a result, the quiet call feature would not be available for legacy mobile devices that do not include the necessary protocol.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated alone or relative to other elements to help improve the understanding of the various embodiments of the present invention.